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1 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
Communication campaign to promote EDEN destinations in Bulgaria
(BG EDEN Campaign III)
ONLINE BULLETIN
FOR BULGARIAN EDEN DESTINATIONS CREATED FOR THE PROJECT
“COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE EDEN DESTINATIONS IN BULGARIA –
THIRD EDITION”, IMPLEMENTED BY MINISTRY OF TOURISM UNDER THE GRANT
AGREEMENT № GRO/SME/17/C/095 EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS OF EXCELLENCE
(EDEN) – PROMOTION 2017 – BG EDEN CAMPAIGN III (BULGARIA), FINANCED BY EU
COSME PROGRAMME
(ISSUE 6, APRIL 2019)
The on line bulletin is developed under the Communication campaign to promote EDEN destinations in
Bulgaria (BG EDEN Campaign III) project will introduce to you related project news, interesting events
in EDEN destinations as well as presenting the selected in various edition Bulgarian EDEN destinations.
EDEN is the acronym for European Destinations of Excellence - an initiative promoting sustainable
tourism development models across the EU.
For more information about EDEN initiative visit http://www.edenbulgaria.eu/, as well as the DG
GROW website https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/eden/about_en
The project aims to further develop the previous two projects on the same topic, implemented during the
2016-2017 and 2011 – 2012. Its main objectives are to promote the Bulgarian EDEN destinations on
national and foreign tourist markets. Up to now Bulgaria has selected the total of 17 destionation of
excellence during 4 competitions for selection of destionation held in 2017, 2010, 2009, 2008 and,
namely Yambol, Mezdra, Dragoman, Ardino, Chavdar, Silistra, Lukovit, Sandanski, Kyustendil,
Belogradchik, Belitsa, Sapareva Banya, Kavarna, Vratsa, Strandzha, Kazanlak and Kardzhali.
For more information visit: http://www.edenbulgaria.eu/
2 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
NEWS
Ministry of Tourism started the implementation of Health and Wellbeing Project
GRO/SME/18/C/065 – Bulgaria Sanus per Aquam
Ministry of Tourism started the implementation of Health and Wellbeing Project
GRO/SME/18/C/065 – Bulgaria Sanus per Aquam”. The project is financed within the European
Destinations of Excellence call – Selection 2019 under the EU COSME 2014-2020 programme. The
contracting body is the EC Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises.
The project objective is to select five new less known EDEN destinations for health and
wellbeing tourism in Bulgaria. In this way the attention will be raised towards the emerging and less
known Bulgarian tourist destinations which offer a specific tourism based on their local natural
resources, facilities and infrastructure for the development of health and wellbeing tourism.
An application set of documents will be drafted and published for the application by the potential
candidates to be selected as EDEN destinations for health and wellbeing tourism in Bulgaria.
After the evaluation of the submitted application documents, the five new health and wellbeing
less known EDEN destinations will be selected.
3 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
DESTINATION MEZDRA
Mezdra municipality is located on a territory of 51911.4 ha and includes 28 settlements – incl.
the town of Mezdra itself and 27 villages. The largest percentage of the municipality’s land is taken up
by farming areas and forests, followed by settlements. The relief is semi-mountainous, with prevalent
grey forest soils, which are suitable for grown fodder cereals and permanent crops.
Mezdra municipality is situated at an average elevation of 270 m. The climate is temperate
continental. The municipality’s forest stock takes up 19500.1 ha, incl. 2526.4 ha of coniferous and
2113.6 ha of deciduous forests. Those village, which are remote from the major road arteries are located
in environmentally clean mountainous and semi-mountainous areas and have significant potential to
develop environmental and rural tourism. The small private and cooperative farms in those settlements
produce chemically non-contaminated products – meat, milk, wine, honey, etc.
The mining areas cover some 1260 ha. Characteristic of the area are the deposits of rock lining
materials – limestone /so-called "Vratsa stone"/. The following rock varieties are observed: light grey to
dark beige limestones with quartz, spotty-striped beige to grey quartz, relatively clean monochrome
beige limestones, large-spots limestones, and quaternary.
Rich prehistorical, ancient, and medieval culture used to thrive within the area of present-day
Mezdra municipality. Contemporary Mezdra was founded after the Sofia-Gorna Oryakhovitsa railway
line was built in late 19th century, the town builders being mostly newcomers from the nearby villages
of Moravitsa, Bodenets, and Darmantsi. The town’s name comes from the Turkish word “mezra”, which
means abandoned settlement. On 20.ІІ.1897 the new railway line was put into operation with a water
ritual performed by the Orthodox bishop Konstantin, in the presence of Prince Ferdinand and Princess
Maria Louisa, who came specifically for the occasion, along with the Serbian king Alexander, as well
as the Prime Minister Dr. Konstantin Stoilov. By the late 1920’s all that remained from the old settlement
was the name, everything else was new and bore the sign of those times. On 31.VІІІ.1950 Mezdra was
declared a town by virtue of Decree 435.
Ivan Vazov described his impressions from traveling in those places in his travel story entitled
"Scribbles from the Sofia-Roman journey", while Aleko Konstantinov did similarly in his travel note
entitled Sofia-Mezdra-Vratsa. The availability of natural resources for recreation and tourism – historical
and natural landmarks, the peacefulness of picturesque villages, the proximity to the Vratsa mountain
range, and the good infrastructure are magnets for visitors and holiday makers. Many places in that area
are worth seeing.
4 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
Kaleto Archaeological Complex, Mezdra
In the southwest part of Mezdra on a high rocky hill, which is towering above the left bank of
the Iskar river, is preserved 70 centuries old history, which is told today at the Archaeological Complex
"Kaleto".
The hill is naturally defended and it is situated on place which is a point of intersection of main
roads used since ancient times. At this crossroad of civilizations, remains were collected from the entire
history of mankind – from the Copper-stone age to the Middle Ages.
The hill above the Iskar river has kept the traces of two consecutively existed fortified settlements
since the end of the Cooper- stone Age and the Eneolithic Age to the Bronze age. These settlements
were destroyed by conflagrations. This time period spans the end of the 5th century and the first half of
the 4th century BC. The numerous artifacts from the excavations of "Kaleto" show that at the end of the
Copper- stone age the settlement was flourishing as a craft center.
"The sanctuary of the auroch" is one of the most significant finds since the end of the Copper-
stone age. It was discovered in 2008 and has no analogue in Bulgaria. The auroch was a pagan divinity,
which supports the world by his horns according to ancients. 2 500 years later at the same place where
were "The sanctuary of the auroch" it was built an early Thracian sacred structure. Ancient Thracians
of the "tribals" tribe lived in the area until the Ist century, when the settlement together with whole Misia
was captured by the Roman Empire.
The story of "Kaleto" continues in Antiquity. There was a Roman fort in the middle of the 2nd
century, a pagan cult center during the 3rd century, a fortified settlement during the 4th and 5th centuries,
which was developing in the late Roman and early Byzantine period. Even now you can see the basics
5 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
of the pagan sanctuary, which grew into a pagan cultural center. They are located just above the
prehistoric "The sanctuary of the auroch". There are so many bronze coins found from the time of the
Roman emperors Dometian, Claudius II Gothicus and Probus; bronze fibulae (brooches); decorations
for belts; a torques and a silver leaf from a laurel wreath. It was found a rare find under the fortress walls
- a bronze cast of an eagle. This is one of the earliest images of this bird. It was a symbol of the Roman
Empire, which express a power and strength. Another valuable find is a bronze key, which is found
among the remains of the most imposing building at Kaleto. Because of the strategic location of the
Romanian fortress, which is the best preserved fortress from this period in Bulgaria, the archaeologists
assume that it is found the symbolic Key of the Nortwest.
6 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
Festival of Medieval Traditions, lifestyle and Culture "Kaleto Mezdra"
The annual fest of Medieval Traditions, lifestile and Culture Kaleto-Mezdra is held in the
Archeological Complex "Kaleto" in the last weekend of May. Visitors are immersing in the
atmosphere of the Middle Ages, touching the life and culture of the old Bulgarians and their
neighbors and rivals on the battlefield. The air is saturated with medieval music and flavors of
medieval dishes.
Dionysian feasts under the motto "to revive the 70 centuries of history"
On 14 February each year, the Archaeological complex "Kaleto" organizes "Dionysian Feasts".
The visitors of this holiday will experience the intertwining of the ancient Thracian mysteries,
the Roman cult of God Dionysius and the Saint Trifon revered among the medieval Bulgarians.
In the celebrations attend community centers of Mezdra Municipality, Representative dance
ensemble Mezdra, the team of Archaeological Complex "Kaleto" and other ensembles. One of
the main attractions is the preparation of mulled wine with spices by a secret ancient Roman
recipe. The wine is preparing in front of the guests' eyes in a cauldron on a burning fire and can
be tasted by all the guests. Visitors can also tasting the Roman toning drink "Poska", which is a
soft drink and acts as a modern energy drink. The traveler who have visited the Dionysian feasts,
will warming up his soul and body on the chilly winter night.
7 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
12 km from the town of Mezdra, on the left bank of the river Iskar, is situated one of the most
interesting rock formations of the Iskar Gorge - "Ritlite". They are parallel rock walls. The
length of the rocks ranges from 200 to 400 meters. They reaches a height of 80 meters above
the river Iskar. These rock formations date back 120 million years.
On the territory of Mezdra municipality is located and one of the most famous monasteries in
Bulgaria - Cherepishki monastery "Assumption". It is located near the village of Lutybrod, 10
km from the town of Mezdra. The monastery was founded during the Second Bulgarian Empire
8 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
during the reign of Tsar Ivan Shishman (1371-1393 AD), but was destroyed during the invasion
of the Turks. According to legend, the monastery got its name from the white bones of fallen
warriors left after the battle of Tzar Shishman against the Ottoman invaders. In Church History
and Archeology Museum in Sofia store statute (Typikon) of monastery composed around 1396,
which mentions that it was destroyed during the battle.
Rock drawings Tsarevets village
Tsarevets village is located 10 km east of the town of Mezdra. The area of Tsarevets village has been
inhabited since primeval times, which is also attested by the remnants of the late Antiquity fortress
Gradishteto. It is located some 2-3 km northeast of the village, on rising ground, which opens up
panoramic sight to the Isskar river bed. In documents dating back to the Chiprovtsi uprising, the village
was known as Vlashko selo. The name originates from the fact that a shepherd from the Danube river
area used to take his herds to that area to graze. An interesting landmark of Tsarevets are the rock
apertures located south of the village, in the rocky range on the left bank of Isskar river, at the foot if the
Srednia Kamik and Govedarnika hills. Some 30 small caves and apertures in the 40-meter rocks may be
found there. They have been explored by experts, who found there numerous graffiti with figural,
anthropomorphic, and abstract images dating back to Bronze Age and up to the Middle Ages. The figural
zoomorphic images are dominated by paintings of deer, bucks, and horses, with occasional drawings of
birds. A monastery complex used to exist in the rock apertures in medieval times as well. A carved full-
size human figure and a deer figure can clearly be seen in one of the apertures in Srednia Kamik massif.
Interwoven above the entire composition are the letters Ш, Н and Ь, i.e. Shishman. Shishman initials are
also carved out in three more spots in the Govedarnika caves. Those monograms are associated with the
9 Call for proposals: GROW/SME/17/C/095 Grant Agreement № GRO/SME/17/C/095 European destinations of Excellence (EDEN) – Promotion 2017 – BG EDEN Campaign III (Bulgaria), financed by EU COSME programme
name of king Ivan Shishman because the lands around Vratsa and Oryakhovo were part of the Tarnovo
kingdom in the latter half of the 14th century.
The same natural cave formations were used as dwellings by the populace of Vlashko Selo during the
plague epidemic, which raged in 1762.